


Yes Stiles, There Is A Santa Claus

by AsagiStilinski



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 12 Days of Sterek, Alive Hale Family, Alive Laura Hale, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- Werewolves are still a thing, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Santa Derek, Witch!Stiles, always a werewolf Derek Hale, private detective Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 15:29:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8806261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: There are ups and downs to being a private detective, the ups are things like making your own hours, being your own boss, and protecting innocent supernatural creatures from human laws, the downs were days like today, when Stiles was forced to be an absolute sleeze and spy on possibly the most magnificent person ever, Derek Hale, who is not just spending his free time as a mall Santa, but he's doing to for FREE





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually fairly happy with this one, thankfully, it turned out alright enough

Stiles hated this part of his job, ok?

Of everything that came with being a private detective, trying to spy on cheating spouses was almost certainly the worst

Not only because it was just boring and- at times- gross to spy on people's romantic affairs, but also because of all the people who really AREN'T having affairs and who are just minding their own business completely unaware that Stiles has been hired to spy on them

He hates that part the most, it always makes him feel like a creep to be watching someone innocently going about their day, knowing that the have no clue their significant other suspects them of wrong-doing and even less of an idea that Stiles was sent out to prove it...

But even still, even with this easily being the most hated part of his job, he had never in his life hated a case as much as he hates this one, because the accused? Stiles is kind of in love with him already

Derek Hale is a kind, magnificent, and freaking GORGEOUS man alright?

First thing this morning he set out to the mall so he could dress up as Santa and listen to a bunch of screaming, crying kids begging him for toys, parents having tantrums, and being tugged, pulled, and yanked on until anyone would be black and blue

But he's been here for four hours, _turned down_ his break so he could see more kids, and hasn't been ANYTHING but jolly and gentle to every kid and every PARENT no matter how much they deserve nothing but coal in their stockings...

And Stiles was supposed to catch this guy having an affair? Or... doing something illegal? Or...

.... Actually....

His client hadn't clarified....

She just said to follow him all day and take as many pictures as he could without being noticed

Wich, with the flood of kids here a week before Christmas, was an easy enough task

But the more Stiles spied on this dude, the more outrageously guilty he felt for it

Most of the time he could justify his actions, even when the person in question wasn't doing anything wrong, because... well... they were just _people_ and they go about their daily lives like ... people...

They steal their co-worker's clearly labeled yogurt from the company fridge, they cuss out baristas, they complain to taxi drivers...

Human beings are terrible ok?

And hell Stiles wasn't even excusing his own species, or himself for that matter, it wasn't like he never used a stray spell here or there to get someone's coffee spilled on them after they'd cut him off in traffic or screamed at him, and when he was caught doing his job by his perp?

Well... he had a list of things he could do to get them back for terrible things they say and do

But that was all DIFFERENT because Derek Hale was not a human being, and Stiles was pretty sure that he wasn't even a werewolf (despite what his client had said)

He was either an angel, or LITERALLY once of Santa's helpers, because NO. ONE. can be this patient and nice ok?

**NO. ONE.**

And Stiles found himself almost unable to watch when one of the toddlers fell on their way to getting out of Santa-Derek's lap and started crying and he just... picked her up and shushed her and let her squeeze the CRAP out of his neck until his face turned red and then he gave her an extra candy cane and-.....

Stiles was a bad person ok?

If he believed in hell, he would be going to it

And just when he finally thought the torment would be over and the Santa station at the mall got on lockdown, it somehow only got _worse_

Stiles followed Derek back to the employees only area, just like his client had told him to, and used his magic to heighten his hearing so he could listen in- _just like his client told him to_

And that was the moment that Stiles knew everyone else in the entire world was wrong about how to go about their lives because _apparently_ Derek wasn't even getting freaking PAID for this!

Instead he was given a gift card to the mall's toy store, and Stiles had to watch in AGONY for an hour as Derek went through and blew several hundred bucks (some of wich was HIS OWN MONEY!!) (or, atleast, it was CASH) on toys

Teddy bears and dolls and video games and legos and movies and coloring books and- ...

Ok

Ok, Stiles figured, he had to have a big family that he was spoiling right?

LOTS of people spent their Christmas bonuses on their kids- and the kids in their family

Stiles knew Derek didn't have any kids of his own, his client had assured him of that

But he could have a ton of neices and nephews, or cousins, or both

One of his freinds, Kira, had a huge extended family, even though she herself was an only child, she had three aunts and two uncles who each had a boat load of kids, and Kira was bled dry every holiday season trying to get one nice thing for each of them

Maybe that was all this was, Derek WAS a werewolf after all, and it was no stereotype that born wolves tended to have massive families, maybe Derek was just trying to give the kids in his family a nice Christmas?

That had to be it, right?

Stiles had never been more wrong in his life, and he felt his stomach SINK when he watched Derek drag armloads of bags from the toy store over to the donation box for Toys For Tots and dump every. single. toy. into the freaking box

Stiles was _mortified_

He was going to have to take a long, hard, look at his life and his choices after this....

Rubbing his eyes slowly, he shakily put his camera back in his bag and sank down behind one of the pillars by the cosmetics store, dragging his fingers through his hair and trying to muster up the courage to get back on his feet and follow Derek home

After all, this didn't necessarily mean that Derek WASN'T cheating on his wife or doing drugs or whatever the hell Stiles was supposed to be investigating him for

(Although werewolves aren't affected by drugs so that kind of ruled that one out)

He just needed to take a breath, calm down, and go back to work, that was all....

There was just one LITTLE problem....

When Stiles finally got himself together and stood up to step out from behind the pillar, he found Derek standing right in front of him- and he didn't exactly look _pleased_

Stiles screamed

Stiles screamed loudly

"Give me your camera," Derek huffed

Ok, interestingly enough, Derek did in fact have the ability to get angry, so he wasn't a COMPLETE saint...

"Um...."

"Camera. NOW."

"How did you even know I was HERE?"

"You stopped using your cloaking spell over an hour ago,"

....

Oh

"I'm not giving you my camera,"

Although it WAS tempting, maybe if he gave up his camera he'd be cleansed of his sins....

Derek didn't seem very happy about that either, eyes narrowing and breath huffing out in an aggravated snort

"Look, I'll give you three times what Laura is paying you, just-"

"You know your wife is investigating you?" Stiles asked in shock

Because that... ok... that could explain some things

Derek's face screwed up a little before he let out a breath of a laugh

"Laura isn't my WIFE, she's my SISTER,"

...

Wut.

"She does this every year, and I'm always able to buy my way out of it, now just give me the camera and tell me your price,"

Well now Stiles was just curious

"No way, I don't betray my clients, especially without knowing why, I mean what's wrong with the pictures I took? It isn't like you were doing anything illegal,"

Hell if anything Stiles would think Derek would WANT his sister to see these pictures to prove what a good person he was....

With an entirely too exaggerated sigh, he finally waved Stiles over, gesturing towards a couch in the mall lobby, assumingly so they could sit and talk

Stiles was a little hesitant, but that phrase "Curiosity killed the cat"?

Yeah, Stiles was the reason that phrase existed

So with only minor reluctance he followed Derek to the couch, sitting with his back against the armrest and his camera bag between his hip and the back cushion

"Ready to talk?" he asked slowly, watching as Derek sat down in front of him and eyed his camera bag with frustration

"I do this every year," he said slowly

"For the last four years I've come up here to play Santa and foregone a paycheck in favor of donating toys,"

"Alright... why? I mean mall Santas may not get GREAT money but you know, Christmas bonus?"

"I don't need the money, trust me, I have plenty of it,"

Stiles sat there for a moment, utterly confused, until... it started to dawn on him....

Derek and Laura Hale...

Hale....

"Oh my GOD you're the Hale siblings?!"

"And you're a private detective?" Derek asked dryly

The Hales were a pillar of the community in Beacon Hills, the entire family had been burned to death by a hunter about seven years ago, leaving only Derek, Laura, and their younger sister Cora left

The Hales had been extremely wealthy but they had always given back to the community, done alot for charity, and for those who knew of the supernatural they were like... guardians of the town

If you had non-human DNA and needed help, chances were the Hales would do everything they could- wich was alot- to help you

He kind of remembered the matriarch of the family, Talia, coming over after his mother died with food and basic books for witches to help him, considering his father was human and didn't really know how to raise Stiles as a witch...

Since their family had died the remaining Hale siblings had picked up where their parents left off, doing all sorts of charity work and things for the community- especially the supernatural community

And if Stiles ever bothered to read a newspapper he probably would have recognized Laura's picture considering how much she was in the local news

Cora was doing work over seas in South America

But Derek...

Well... Derek was something of a hermit, he wasn't really in the press and wile people knew about him he stayed to himself and never did anything to get in the news about

....Stiles was starting to see why....

"But why take this job instead of just buying boxes full of toys? God knows you can afford it,"

And maybe that came out wrong but Stiles was just trying to make some sense out of all of this

"Because I- ... I LIKE being Santa, I like being around the kids, I like making them happy... I just like it,"

Oh

....

Well Stiles had somehow found a way to make himself feel like even WORSE of a person and he hadn't thought that was possible as of an hour ago

"Why does your sister hire PIs every year to spy on you though? Does she not know what you're doing?" he asked in confusion

"She knows EXACTLY what I'm doing and that's why she does it," he said with a tense frown, running his fingers through his hair and heaving a sigh

"... Ok Big Guy, you're gonna have to spell this one out for me..."

Derek frowned a little bit more deeply, eyebrows pinching together, he looked... pained... and Stiles kept feeling more and more terrible about his life choices

"She's... insistant... that she wants me to get public credit for all of this, instead of doing it anonymously, and I know she's just trying to be... nice... but I don't want the attention, I don't want publicity, if I did I would be .. out doing things to GET publicity like she is instead of doing everything quietly, she thinks it would be GOOD for me to get some exposure, get out of my shell or... something..."

"But you don't want that," Stiles concluded quietly

Derek gave his head a quick shake, gaze falling to the floor and chewing slightly on his lip

"Please give me the camera," he asked quietly

And Stiles....

Well, it just rounded out Stiles' day to KEEP feeling like a bad person...

"You can't have my camera, it was WAY too expensive," he said, licking his lips and heaving another quiet sigh

"But... you can have the film," he reasoned, removing his camera from the case and carefully taking the film out of the back before setting it in Derek's hand

"Thank you," Derek said softly, and Stiles could tell that he was ... incredibly sincere about it too, he looked like Stiles had just taken a thousand pound weight off of his shoulders and that ... that broke his heart just a little bit

"Yeah, ofcourse, I mean look I GET it ok? Sometimes the people in your life who love you the most think that they're doing the right thing for you because it sounds good on papper but ... for whatever reason it just isn't right for YOU you know?"

"Coming from personal experience?" Derek guessed, tilting his head curiously, though the look on his face told Stiles that he almost certainly already knew the answer to that question

"My dad tried SO. HARD. to get me into law enforcement because I'm a good detective- and don't laugh, ok? Because MOST of my cases aren't with werewolves that I have such insane raging GUILT over investigating that I lose my cool and drop my cloaking spell,"

"Raging guilt huh? And what would cause that?"

"The fact that you're a good freaking person! I thought I was like... supposed to be waiting on you to have an affair or something- your sister is REALLY not clear with anything at all- and I'm sitting there like a crazy stalker with a camera watching you do the nicest things ever and it made me feel like a scuz ball,"

"You shouldn't feel guilty for doing your job Stiles, for all you knew **I** was the scuz ball and just did a good job at hiding it,"

"Yeah I was hoping for that," Stiles snorted, paling slightly when he realized that that... hadn't come out right at all...

"So why didn't you join law enforcement? Less time hiding behind potted mall plants with a camera I'm guessing,"

"Well-... I mean... depending on the unit yes and no? If you're working something like vice you're probably going to spend alot of time perfecting your stalking skills but... I'm not GREAT with following the rules, I tried it for a wile, playing cop, when I was a teenager I used to follow my dad's cases on my own and MAN did I break alot of protocols and laws doing THAT, I almost never agreed with the legal decision, got side-tracked on other 'more important' cases all the time ... I was a mess, and I.. I DID get involved in some stuff a few times and found out that I don't really have the stomach for ... some things,"

"Like dead bodies?" Derek guessed, this time appearing to be sincerely curious

"No dead bodies don't bother me at all," he paused, chewing on his lip

"Death though.... death bothers me,"

Derek's expression changed, softened, a look of all too knowing sympathy settling over his features

Because there was a huge difference between dead bodies and death

Dead bodies were an investigation, a crime scene, something to work on, but death....

Death was tragedy and pain and Derek didn't know to what extent Stiles had experienced it but he could tell that it must have been personal and deeply, deeply painfull

"I do alot better investigating supernatural stuff anyway, my work always seemed to veer in that direction when I was a teenager and you can't exactly arrest a hunter for poisoning a werewolf with Wolfsbane but you can sure as hell track them down and give them a little vigilante justice,"

"So you're a vigilante now?" Derek smirked, glad for the slightly better change in topic

"I never said that, and if I was, I wouldn't be telling a civillain," he smirked

Derek just let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head and slowly giving the film back to Stiles

"What's this?" he asked in confusion

Because... hadn't this entire adventure been over that roll of film?

"Keep it, I know film is expensive, I trust that you'll erase the incriminating photos,"

Stiles nodded slowly, a soft smile forming over his lips as he went to put the film back in his camera bag

"SO... looks like you aren't going to get paid for this little venture, can I treat you to dinner? It's the absolute least I can do for causing you to lose your Christmas paycheck,"

Stiles came very, very close to dropping the roll of film between the couch cushions never to be seen again, mouth open and eyes wide

Derek.... Derek Hale had just asked him on a date....

That IS what happened right?

"Actually I already got paid half just for taking the job but... yeah! Yes, yes so... you can totally make up for the lost half by giving me food,"

Derek stood up, a small smile across his face as he reached down to help Stiles to his feet

"Good, I know this great restaurant a few blocks from here, we could.. we could go now if you want?"

"Now would... yes, yes now would be fantastic, let's do that,"

Stiles never would understand it, but Derek started smiling in that moment as if HE were the one who just got asked out by the best man on the planet

They walked out after that, hand-in-hand, and Stiles made a serious mental note to destroy the pictures when he got home

Well... all except for one

The first one Stiles took that morning, when Derek had just left the house and was bathed in soft morning sunlight, face looking soft, smiling gently at something off in the distance as he walked to the car

Almost two years later, when Stiles shows that photo at their wedding reception, Derek will finally tell him that the thing he had been smiling at that day was Stiles


End file.
